Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain.
Working:
A radar system has a transmitter that emits either radio waves or (more usually these days) microwaves that are reflected by the target and detected by a receiver, typically in the same location as the transmitter. Although the signal returned is usually very weak, the signal can be amplified. This enables radar to detect objects at ranges where other emissions, such as sound or visible light, would be too weak to detect. Radar is used in many contexts, including meteorological detection of precipitation, measuring ocean surface waves, air traffic control, police detection of speeding traffic, and by the military.
There are basically five types of radar based on its use:
Detection and search radar: such as the "early warning radar," which is used for long-range detection of objects, and the Target Acquisition (TA) Radar Systems, used to locate surface-to-air missiles (SAM). These types of radar are frequently used in the military and in coastal surveillance, as well as for detecting car speed during highway patrol.
Missile guidance systems are radar used to locate the target of a missile. This is often present in military aircraft.
Radar for biological research: bird and insect radar are used frequently `by scientists to track the migration patterns of animals. Bird radar is also being used at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to track the presence of birds, especially vultures, near launching pads. Trap and release programs have been implemented to prevent birds accidentally impacting the shuttles after liftoff.
Air traffic control and navigation radar: used by airports to ensure the safety of planes, this type of radar detects the proximity of an aircraft and identifies the identity and altitude of the plane. Radio beacons and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) also fall into this category.
Weather-sensing radar systems: mostly used to measure and locate precipitation, this type of radar can also measure wind direction and speed.
To know more about RADAR:
No comments:
Post a Comment